The value of learning cursive has been known for years and is finally being acknowledged in school systems nationwide. Check out this editorial by Dr. Daniel Coupland about cursive and its benefits.
Cursive Is Making A Comeback
03/22/2024Jinhao 82 Writing Sample
02/28/2024It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words…
I received this pen in a set of three from Amazon last year. One of them had a flow issue that still needs to be addressed, but the other two work perfectly. Given the price, it would have been a bargain for only two pens. The three colorful units can be assembled in multiple configurations and two medium nibs is really all I need. So things worked out well and I am happy with my purchase.
If you already own a few Jinhao 82 pens with extra-fine or fine nibs but would like to outfit a few of them with medium nibs, Amazon offers a set of three at a reasonable price.
New Favorite Products
12/31/2023My interests have settled into three categories all of which require tools and elements that I explored in 2023. If only I could double my workspace to accommodate it all but for now the best I can do is to organize, organize, organize and find tools that work with more than one interest.
There were nine standouts worth mentioning among my 2023 acquisitions. Links are to these products on Amazon. Should you purchase there, Inkophile might earn a small commission without increasing the cost to you.
- New ink – Diamine Aurora Borealis
- Old ink – a fresh bottle of Waterman Black
- Pen – Jinhao 82 Fine in Fluorescent White and Black
- Watercolors – Boku-Undo E-Sumi
- Watercolor brush – Raphael Soft Aqua Synthetic Squirrel Quill 3/0
- Watercolor tool – Meeden Ceramic 2 Well Wash Bowl
- Calligraphy ink – Kuretake Gold Mica Ink
- Binder – AFNIRP A6 Budget Notebook Binder
- Pen case – Lanxivi Fountain Pen PU Leather Case
Jinhao 82 Black Friday Deal
11/21/2023This offering is worthy of note. Amazon has a Black Friday deal on the Jinhao 82 that makes it a good time to buy one or maybe two. Click the photo to see all 34 colors as well as the price. This is one of my favorite fountain pens and at the lowest price I have ever seen. If the fine nib isn’t your fave, it comes with extra-fine and medium nibs. The former takes a really light touch given how sharp it is but posting puts it at an angle that slightly modifies that tendency. Here’s more about the Jinhao 82 if you haven’t read my earlier posts.
Make Your Ink And Watercolor Choices Colorful
11/08/2023Creating an ink rotation for fountain pens or a palette of watercolors for a painting can be a frustrating endeavor. Or it can be a stuck-in-a-rut bore. Taking a cue from flowers, birds and other sources can mix things up in unexpected but compatible ways.
A few weeks ago, I discovered Lorene Edwards Forkner who matches watercolors to flowers and plants. The technique she uses is a good exercise in color matching and the examples she posts are beautiful. Her book, Color In and Out of the Garden, arrived a few days ago and has already provided inspiration.
An account on Instagram called DesignSeeds has a number of five-color palettes and is another place to start. Scroll down to see the most diverse ones.
Whether bold and adventurous or calm and harmonious, put colors together in a new way. It can make writing or painting more compelling when you are excited about your choices.
Review: Waterman Black Ink Hits All The Right Notes
09/25/2023After twenty years of using fountain pens, I finally purchased Waterman Intense Black Ink. My usual choices are Noodler’s Black or J Herbin Perle Noir when I am in a black mood. But I purchased the bottle of Waterman for a family member and decided to give it a whirl in a Delike New Moon 2 EF to good result.
It isn’t the darkest black but varied a little in my test perhaps in part due to the nib size and controlled flow. Super dark blacks remind me of gel pen ink and for that occasion the Faber-Castell Fast Gel Z is my weapon of choice. Waterman Black is more subtly varied as is my preference in fountain pen ink. It is undemanding to use and fitting for journal entries at the end of a long day.
So far it writes on all grades of paper tested and once I get started, it is so smooth on Rhodia that I don’t want to put the pen down. Nothing finicky about it but it is giving my mechanical pencil some serious competition. Just grab it and write. It won’t displace any colorful inks but Waterman Black could become a regular in my rotation. However, don’t spread that around. My usual companions might become jealous or worse. Naughty behavior won’t be far behind.
An Inkophile's Blog 
